SPOTLIGHT

Miss Blackburn Ten Tors Team Manager

Parents’ Information Newsletter Issue 7

Autumn Term 2011

Bringing you our latest news!

Dear Parent/Carer

It has been quite a half term for everyone at Poltair School; busy, focused and productive. New school

uniform, 100 minute lessons, zero tolerance when it comes to behaviours and consequences, the new

House System, Ofsted, the Taster Day, the Open Evening, Prize Afternoon and hosting the Pearl of Africa

choir, just to name a few.

Indeed, in reflecting upon some of these high profile events, it is with great pride that we consider how

positive Poltair School looks and feels in the autumn of 2011. Visitor after visitor has remarked on the

ethos, calmness and sense of common purpose when they have joined our learning community. A

colleague from another school commented just this week on the professionalism of our staff, the high

quality of the teaching and learning, the welcome they received from adults and children alike and indeed

the respectfulness and good behaviour of the students.

With this in mind, we can all look forward to a well-earned half term break. Please enjoy.

Stephen Tong Headteacher

Dates for diary

Friday 21 October to (Tewington House Saturday 22 October Charity Event)

Monday 24 October to Friday 28 October (Half Term)

Monday 31 October On-site training – NO PUPILS IN SCHOOL Tuesday 8 November Year 10 Work Experience Evening 7.00 – 8.30 pm in the Main Hall

Thursday 10 November Class of 2011 Certificate Evening To arrive 6.00-6.15 pm for 6.30 pm start in the Main Hall

Wednesday 16 November Individual Pupils Photos

Friday 18 November Children in Need Day (special events)

Tuesday 22 November Year 9 Parents Evening 3.15 – 6.30 pm in the Main Hall

Good luck to Team Tewington who will

be taking part in the ‘24 hour’ House

Charity Event in order to raise money

for Cancer Research. The event is

taking place in the school Main Hall

today and tomorrow and 36 pupils are

aiming to keep an exercise bike

pedalling for 24 hours. The event

commenced at 12 noon today and will

finish at 12 noon tomorrow. Although

this event is for Tewington House

pupils, any donations will be

appreciated for Cancer Research the

chosen charity. Please send any

donations to

school for the

attention of

Mr Foster.

10 October

Ethan Vogwill (7MP) (violin)

MUSIC STUDENT OF THE WEEK

Sam Ager

Ruby

Curtis

U12 Girls’ Netball Tournament at Brannel Wednesday 12 October

This was the first tournament for the Year 7 girls and we were concerned we would not have enough volunteers to make a team but thanks to last minute support from Ebony Brooks we presented a strong team. The girls, captained by Sadie Davey, played four games and won all four. Each game was played with confidence and speed. What we lacked in defensive tightness we made up for in shooting accuracy. Emily James was awarded ‘Star player’ earning 10 extras vivos and all girls received 30 vivos for representing the school. We look forward to seeing more Year 7 girls at practice on Tuesday nights.

Team: Sadie Davey (Captain), Emily Crane, Emily James, Ebony Brooks, Katie Wenmouth, Alana Marks and Keira Briden. U14 Girls’ Netball Tournament at Poltair Wednesday 12 October

The Under 14 girls started the season extremely well with a 2nd place finish in a mini-tournament held here at Poltair. We have a strong team this year, they gelled well and quickly began showing some silky skills in moving the ball down the court, keeping possession and scoring about 90% of their shots taken. They played a total of 4 games - wins against Penrice A (4-1), Penrice B (3-0), Roseland (3-0) and a loss against Fowey (a closely fought game finishing 3-2). The girls should be proud of their 2nd out of 5 teams and I am sure will continue to do well in any remaining fixtures; they were a pleasure to coach as always.

Team: Tori Marks (Captain), Emily White, Lauren James, Millie King, Chelsea Payton, Beth Powell, Gemma Floyd-Norris, Casey Mounce, Darrian Lee.

Half Term and Christmas Holiday Outdoor Activity Days at a reduced rate of £12pp!

BF Adventure has been awarded a limited pot of funding to subsidise positive activities for young people for the next 4 months (first come, first served). Sessions run from 10am – 3pm during holidays or at weekends and will include activities such as team building, canoeing, archery, climbing and zip wire. Support with transport or the cost of transport may also be available.

Please call 01326 340912 or email nicolaa@bfadventure.org

Watch out for full details after the half term break.

SPOTLIGHT ON DESIGN TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Pupils L to R: Alisha, Hope, Kieran, Jessie, Ryan and Matt in the control room for the Merlin Helicopter flight simulator at RNAS Culdrose during the STEM visit.

RNAS Culdrose 12 October

As a Design Technology Department we were pleased to have been actively involved in taking six pupils on a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Activity to RNAS Culdrose. Our pupils rose to the challenge of building a crane to rescue a stranded scale model Merlin Helicopter. Out of the nine schools taking part Poltair narrowly missed first place coming second overall with a team of Year 9 pupils who competed against some teams of Year 10 pupils from other Cornish schools.

Report on the day by Alisha Armstrong

It was a great opportunity for us to visit RNAS Culdrose last week. The day was incredible in my opinion. Not only did we build a crane to lift a Royal Navy Merlin Helicopter but we were given a tour of HMS Seahawk too which was an added bonus. It was phenomenal to see how the helicopter pilots are trained. There were 9 secondary school teams in total and Poltair came 2nd. I feel that our team did ourselves and Poltair proud. In our team two of us were structural engineers (Ryan and Kieran) another two of us were mechanical engineers (myself and Hope) and the final two were the electrical engineers (Jessie and Matthew). It was amazing how much I learned, for example how to be part of a team and to experience first-hand what it’s like to work with people that I may not have worked with before. I also learned that an initial idea is not always going to be your final idea and we as a team had to make modifications to make our crane slick and to be the best it could be. I feel honoured to have been given the chance to be a part of this challenge and to be an ambassador for the school. We learned some fascinating facts about the Merlin Helicopters such as each individual Merlin Helicopter costs around £50 million pounds and just one helicopter rotor blade costs £250,000 (5 of these blades are needed on the helicopter)! Hope said: “It was a good day out and I learned a lot. I met new people and after hearing about the helicopter pilots and their jobs I would seriously consider joining the Royal Navy.” Matthew explained: “It was good fun seeing how different designs work in extreme conditions and learning about the career options the Royal Navy provides.”

Merlin Helicopter

KEEP THIS BY THE PHONE OR ON YOUR FRIDGE!

POLTAIR SCHOOL

Poltair +

Nov & Dec 2011

DAY TIME CLUB USEFUL INFORMATION STAFF/WHERE? MON 3.15 –

4.30 Fitness Suite

Percussion Ensemble

Get fit using your own fitness programme.

Everyone welcome, learn how to make

music the fun way

Mr Shepherd

Miss Johnston –

music practice

rooms TUES Break

2 Fitness Suite KS3 Mr Shepherd

TUES 3.15 –

4.30 3.15 - 5.30

Badminton

Christmas Toy

Making

Robots

Maths Revision

Netball

ICT

Homework Club

BOYS FIXTURES

All years

Y7&8, make your own toys ready for

Christmas gifts

Y7,8,9 make a robot

Y10 &11

All years

Homework and improve skills. All years

For all subjects and all pupils

See Mr Marshall for a Fixture List

Club Staff – Sports

Hall

Mrs Peters T9

Mr King T4

Maths staff

Miss Owens &

Miss Bailey

Mr Jones E7

Mrs Warwick in

SSC

Various

WED

3.15 - 4.30 3.15 – 5.30

Maths Catch Up

Fantasy Football

Social Football

Fitness Suite

Christmas Cake Club

Geography Booster

sessions

Origami

Dance

DT Catch Up

Choir

Homework Club

GIRLS FIXTURES

My Maths, Homework, or just general help! All Y7, 8 & 9 welcome

Budding Managers all year groups

All years, all abilities welcome

All welcome

Make and decorate your own cake in time

for Christmas

All GCSE Geography pupils

The art of making objects from paper!

Boys and Girls All welcome

All years, spend time perfecting your work

Love to sing, you will love this

For all subjects and all pupils

See Mrs Booth for a Fixture List

Mrs Warder & Mrs Lean in E8

Mr Montgomery

Mr Booth – Astro

Mr Shepherd

Miss Partis T7

Miss Hughes W3

Mrs Hulbert Dance

Studio

Mrs Lobb T2

Ms Oram - Music

Mrs Warwick in

SSC

Various

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KEEP THIS BY THE PHONE OR ON YOUR FRIDGE!

POLTAIR SCHOOL

Poltair +

Nov & Dec 2011

DAY TIME CLUB USEFUL INFORMATION STAFF/WHERE? THURS Break

2 Fitness Suite

Y7&8 Football

Fancy a kick about? Just bring trainers

Mr Shepherd

Mr Watkinson -

Astro THURS 3.15-

4.30 3,15 – 5.30

Science STEM Club

Basketball

Boys Rugby

Girls Fitness Suite

Girls Rugby

1-1 Maths

ICT

Homework Club

Song Writers Club

BOYS FIXTURES

Y9

Plymouth Raiders Coaching All welcome

All welcome

All girls welcome

Learn the basics of the game and roll in

the mud!!

Targeted pupils

Homework and improve skills. All years

For all subjects and all pupils

Learn how to make musical magic! GCSE

students particularly welcome.

See Mr Marshall for a Fixtures list

Miss Brader &

Mr Martin S4

Jamie Sports Hall

Field

Mrs Booth

Miss Bailey

Various

Mr Jones E7

Mrs Warwick in SSC

Miss Johnston music

practice rooms

Various FRI Break

2 Y9, 10 & 11 Football Fancy a kick about, just bring trainers. Mr Watkinson Astro

FRI 3.15 – 4.30

Trampolining

Fitness Suite

Dodgeball

Great fun, fab exercise. Just for fun or

work towards your skills awards.

Staff Only

Great fun! Throw balls at people! ALL

WELCOME

Mr Strickland

Main Hall

3.15 – 5.30

Miss Owens

Sports Hall

Enhancement Buses – run on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 4.30 pm

from the front of school.

Don’t forget your ORANGE bus slip

Remember that you get 10 Vivos for attending an

after-school club from the teacher who runs the club.

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